1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic equipment which has main board and a sub board.
2. Description of the Related Art
With regard to a piece of electronic equipment having a main board and a sub board installed within an enclosure, there are diverse arrangements of the main board and sub board relative to the enclosure.
However, in a case in which main and sub boards are disposed substantially in parallel and a connector is provided on the surfaces of each board facing one another, the sub board being pressed toward the main board so as to mate the connectors together, because of the strong pressing force that is required, the mating is difficult. Additionally, because a large pulling force is required to remove the sub board from the main board for maintenance and the like, this task is also difficult.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention, in consideration of the above-noted drawbacks in the conventional art, to improve the ease of insertion and removal of a sub board disposed substantially parallel to a main board.
In order to achieve the above-noted object, an electronic equipment according to the present invention has an enclosure, a first connection part, a sub board, a second connection part, a guide, and a guide movement mechanism.
The enclosure is partitioned into a sub board housing part having at least one aperture. The main board is fixed relative to the enclosure. The first connection part is fixed to the main board, and faces the sub board housing part. The sub board is inserted from the aperture toward a temporary attachment position, and at the temporary attachment position is disposed opposite the main board. The second connection part is fixed relative to the sub board and, by the sub board at the temporary attachment position moving toward the main board and reaching a fully attached position, mates with and connects to the first connection part. The guide is provided so as to freely move between a first position and a second position of the sub board. The guide at the first position guides the sub board to the temporary attachment position. The guide, by moving from the first position to the second position, causes the sub board to move from the temporary attachment position to the fully attached position, and holds the sub board at the fully attached position. A guide movement mechanism is linked to the guide and, by a driving operation, causes the guide to move from the first position to the second position.
In the above-described arrangement, when the sub board is to be installed, the guide is set at the first position and the sub board is inserted toward the temporary attachment position within the sub board housing part via the aperture of the enclosure. At the temporary attachment position, the sub board is in mutual opposition with the main board.
Once the sub board reaches the temporary attachment position, the guide movement mechanism is driven, so that the guide is caused to move from the first position to the second position. By doing this the sub board at the temporary attachment position moves toward the sub board and reaches the fully attached position, so that the second connection part and first connection part are mutually connected. In this connection the sub board is held and maintained at the fully attached position.
When the sub board is to be removed, the guide movement mechanism is driven and the sub board is pulled out along the guide and exposed from the aperture and, if necessary, the sub board is completely removed from the guide.
That is, the insertion and removal of the sub board relative to the sub board housing part is performed simply, by causing the sub board to move along the guide. The insertion and removal of the sub board relative to the main board in the sub board housing part is performed easily by driving the guide movement mechanism so as to cause the sub board to move. It is therefore possible to easily perform the tasks of inserting and removing the sub board.